Two special occasions are celebrated here; the first disc marks
the centenary of the Stalhuth-Jann organ in St Martin’s
Church, Dudelange, Luxembourg, and the second showcases the
instrument installed in Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland, in 2007.
Regular readers will know that a new Kiviniemi recording is
an event, so to have two is even more of a treat. I first heard
the Luxembourg organ on a CD from Signum, in which organist-composer
Naji Hakim plays a selection of his own works (review).
As for the Lahti one, I was directed to a YouTube video of the
Lohengrin transcription, made at the time of this recording.

Rédemption focuses on 19th- and 20th-century
repertoire, which suits this mammoth instrument very well indeed.
Not surprisingly the five Dupré pieces are spectacularly
done, the rolling racket of the Stahlhuth-Jann captured in sound
of almost frightening heft and volume. I daresay less-than-optimal
audio equipment would not be able to unravel these complex textures
or convey the thrilling sense of space. That said, this isn’t
all about size. Dupré’s lovely Antiphon
is most delicately voiced; indeed, there’s a wonderful
sense of the notes suspended in this vast space. Kiviniemi’s
transcriptions of five of Fauré’s nine Préludes
are even more wondrous; they’re gossamer light and suffused
with a gentle radiance that’s deeply affecting.

I much admire Kiviniemi’s transcription skills; his handling
of the original harmonies always seems just right, and he shapes
and scales the music with sensitivity and a sure sense of style.
His transcription of Franck’s Interlude symphonique
de Rédemption is no exception; it’s played
with quiet grandeur and a keen ear for the music’s shifting
dynamics and inner voices. The latter makes me realise I was
a little harsh in that Naji Hakim review when, en passant,
I characterised the sound of this Fuga disc as bright and overbearing.
That said, this recording - masterminded by Mika Koivusalo -
takes no prisoners; the sound is typically unfettered and there’s
no distracting echo either.

This recital ends with contrasting pieces from two of the finest
organist-composers of the 20th century - Maurice
Duruflé and Olivier Messiaen. The latter’s awe-inspiring
celestial blaze couldn’t be more different from the understated
little Prélude that precedes it. Kiviniemi builds
Messiaen’s great vision block by granitic block; it’s
a compelling performance, if not quite the equal of Thomas Trotter’s
unmissable account for Decca. As for the bonus track - a scorching
improvisation on the Luxembourg national anthem - it’s
a sonic test-to-destruction if ever there was one.

After that aural drubbing even Sibelius’s ceremonial Intrada
- which opens the Lahti disc - sounds relatively subdued. Kiviniemi
was one of four organists to inaugurate this 52-stop concert
instrument, by Sweden’s Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri, in
May 2007. The hall itself is well known for its fine acoustics,
which really shine through in those Vänskä/Aho recordings
from BIS. It’s worth noting that Kiviniemi’s recorded
several of these pieces before. The Intrada can be heard
to even more imposing effect in his fine Sibelius survey (review),
the Pièce héroïque is included in
his all-Franck recital (review)
and the arrangement of Liszt’s ‘Un sospiro’
is part of the Lakeuden Risti programme (review).

It’s a measure of the musical and technical quality of
all these Fuga recordings that they’re at or near the
top of my list of organ recitals I’d want on my desert
island. Does this Lahti collection live up to the high standards
of the house? Emphatically, yes. This instrument has a breathtaking
lucidity and perky character that ensnared me in an instant.
Even the Rheinberger Passacaglia, which can sound a tad
indigestible at times, has a strong narrative - not to mention
a warmth and dignity - that I’ve not heard before. This
is playing and recording of tremendous sophistication, and neither
Kiviniemi nor Koivusalo go for the splashy ‘hi-fi’
presentation this repertoire so often gets.

If the Liszt is the centre-piece of the Lakeuden Risti disc
then the Wagner arrangement is the stand-out item on this Lahti
one. Has Elsa’s bridal procession ever sounded so noble,
those pealing harmonies so radiant? Kiviniemi really captures
an air of simple dignity here, and the lovely, aerated sounds
of the Lahti instrument confirm just how subtle and beautifully
voiced it is. The Franck is no less alluring; it has a pleasing
lift, and the bass is rock-solid throughout. As for the Dupré
Antiphon - also played on the Rédemption
disc - it may seem more clear-eyed in this concert hall acoustic,
but it’s no less enthralling for that.

Kiviniemi the composer makes a good impression in his three-movement
Suite, which combines liquid upper registers with a firm, pulsing
pedal. There’s something of that massive Intrada
in the first movement, Le feu, and Le ciel has
a serenity that wouldn’t be out of place in a Messiaen
piece. The third movement, La mosaïque brisée,
marries mobility and heft. What a versatile, immaculately tuned
organ this is, and how well it sounds in this clear, modern
acoustic.

The scented Scriabin Prelude isn’t particularly
memorable, but the Gordon Young has a simplicity and charm that
I found most appealing. As always Kiviniemi is alive to the
individual character of these pieces; registrations are sensitively
chosen and the music is appropriately scaled. Nowhere is that
more evident than the Liszt; as glorious as it is here, the
emotional rise and fall of this piece is even more keenly felt
on the Kangasala organ of Lakeuden Risti Church. Indeed, the
latter is my very own demo piece, which I’ll play for
anyone who wants to hear just how natural and ‘present’
a modern organ recording can be.

Kiviniemi brings this recital to a close with his fleet-footed
and inventive variations on La Follia; as usual I was
struck by the sheer range of colour and nuance this organist
manages to coax from this instrument. It’s a perfect coda
to what is a fairly diverse programme. Taken together these
are excellent recordings, even if I prefer Kiviniemi’s
earlier renditions of the duplicated works. Both discs offer
informative and lavishly illustrated booklets, which underline
Fuga’s very high production values.

Hyperion’s prolific ‘Organ Fireworks’ series
is an example of a series that, for all its felicities, exceeded
its natural end date. Is the Kiviniemi/Koivusalo partnership
going the same way? Only if they get bogged down in much-too-familiar
repertoire; perhaps a touch more serendipity, as in their out-of-the-ordinary
Ylistaro recital, will keep this fine brand going for a long
time yet (review).
I’m intrigued to see what they do next.

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